Retrieving custom variable in query_vars

Here’s the code

add_filter(‘rewrite_rules_array’, ‘add_rewrite_rules’);
add_filter(‘query_vars’, ‘add_query_vars’);
add_action( ‘wp_loaded’,’my_flush_rules’ );

function my_flush_rules(){
$rules = get_option( ‘rewrite_rules’ );

if ( ! isset( $rules[‘(project)/(\d*)$’] ) ) {
global $wp_rewrite;
$wp_rewrite->flush_rules();
}
}

function add_query_vars($vars) {
array_push($vars, ‘language’);
return $vars;
}

function add_rewrite_rules($aRules) {
$aNewRules = array(‘language/([^/]+)/?$’ => ‘index.php?pagename=home&language=$matches[1]’);
$aRules = $aNewRules + $aRules;
return $aRules;
}

Page Home is a static page set to be my homepage. The routing occurs correctly, but can’t retrieve the variable language from within page.php:

if(isset($wp_query->query_vars[‘language’]))
{
$language = $wp_query->query_vars[‘language’];
}

However, if I change the rule above to another page other than my homepage, then I can retrieve the variable:

$aNewRules = array(‘language/([^/]+)/?$’ => ‘index.php?pagename=intro&language=$matches[1]’);

Any ideas why is this so?